City comparison
Anaheim, CA is about 20 miles (30 km) from Huntington Beach, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 22 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Anaheim, CA to Huntington Beach, CA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Anaheim has a population of 347,111, vs 197,481 in Huntington Beach — about 1.8× larger by population. By land area, Anaheim covers about 50 sq mi vs 27 sq mi for Huntington Beach.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Anaheim | Huntington Beach | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,958/mo | $2,318/mo | 18.4% higher in Huntington Beach |
| Median home value | $713,600 | $976,800 | 36.9% higher in Huntington Beach |
| Median household income | $88,538 | $114,747 | 29.6% higher in Huntington Beach |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 106.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 151.7 | 155.6 | 2.5% higher in Huntington Beach |
| Transportation index | 104.0 | 104.4 | ≈ equal (Huntington Beach slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 104.3 | ≈ equal (Huntington Beach slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Anaheim, you'd need $101,116 in Huntington Beach to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Anaheim, CA is about 1.1% cheaper overall than Huntington Beach, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Huntington Beach than in Anaheim. If you earn $80,000 in Anaheim, you'd need about $80,893 in Huntington Beach to keep the same standard of living.